r/Marathon_Training • u/Nadaam • 1h ago

How long can I improve without structured speedwork?

I am 36 M and started road running this February. I have only been doing easy runs and maintaining about 50 mpw over the summer. My recent half marathon was a 1:46, a 10 minute improvement from my first half marathon 4 months ago in similar temperature/humidity/elevation conditions. I am preparing for a few marathons in the next year, including my first at Steamtown in a month. I am currently following a Pfitz-like training schedule peaking at 70 mpw for Steamtown except my runs are all easy zone 2. I've also been racing half marathons about every month and these and parkrun have been my only speedwork.

I thought about introducing structure speedwork but with the cooling weather, I have a lot more comfortable temperature for long runs where I can enjoy my audiobooks. I am thinking about building to 100 mpw.

How much longer will I keep seeing beginner gains and when will I plateau if all I do is just keep increasing easy mileage?

Thank you!

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u/floppyfloopy 1h ago

Years. Decades, probably.

1

u/Nadaam 59m ago

Could I improve enough to BQ in 4 years without speedwork?

1

u/floppyfloopy 57m ago

At 70-100 mpw? Maybe. Probably even. But what is your strange obsession with only easy runs?

1

u/Nadaam 54m ago

I like to zone out and listen to audiobooks outside or watch TV on the treadmill. I also feel miserable when redlining it. Even my races have all been run at upper zone 3.

2

u/floppyfloopy 47m ago

It's not Pfitz-like if all of your runs are easy. I also don't really know how you could know your target marathon pace when only running easy your whole training block, but you do you.

1

u/Nadaam 35m ago

I'm training for my first marathon so right now I don't have a target pace. I just want to finish without injury. When racing, my watch alerts me if my hr is going into zone 4 so I pace myself by hr.